Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-09-27
CALLED TO ALASKA.

Hon. Whit NJ. Grant, OF Davenport,
Appointed United states Attorney
for the Territory---HfsP Place of Du-
" and its Peculiarlties.
Hon. Whit M. Grant of Davenport. re-
ceived a telegram yesterday afternoon,
announcing his appointment as United
States attorney for the district of Alaska.
The appointment was unsolicited upon
the part of Mr.. Grant, and the first int
nation he had that his name was being
considered for the place. was telegram
received from Attorney General Garland
last Thursday, which said: will you &C
cept the position of United States sttor-
ney for the district OF Alaskan" He re-
piled, Give me two or three days to CON
slider the matter-I must think il over "
Next morning the response came, ''Busi-
ness is urgent, imperative: wants atten-
ton right away; telegraph tomorrow. "
On Saturday Mr.. Grant telegrsphed that
he would accept. and yesterday afternoon
u telegram from the attorney general an
nounced his appointment by the presi
dent
Mr. Grant is appointed To succeed Hon.
W. ID. Ball. who died on Tuesday last. on
II steamship. while on his way from Sitka
to Seattle
The appointment of Mr.. Grant TO this
important and onerOus position will be
commented by all Mr. Grants townsmen
and everybody else who knows him, says
the Democrats Gdzette He is a man Of 81
years of age, an able lawyer, one of the
most upright and honorable of men, and
of marked independence of thought and
action. He came to Davenport in '6S,
when youth, from his native state of
Alabama, on the invitation of his uncle,
Judge James Grant, and entered Griswold
college AS student. After leaving that
institution rs Il graduate in 1872, he ems
tered the law department of the State
University, graduating with high honor
in the class of 70. He entered upon the
practice of his profession right away,
and before long was appointed attorney
for the c.. NJ & St p He went into
partnership with his uncle in rs, the firm
being Grant & Grant He has been quite
succ essful in his practice, which has been
lucrative, and frequently very important,
he having been admitted 10 practice be-
fore the United States supreme court in
| 81, ana conducted many cases involving
large interests in the federal courts in the
states of Kansas. Nebraska, Arkansas,
Illinois. Iowa and Missouri. He mas
served as alderman, as city attorney and
as state senator with great credit lie is
a brother of Ex-Governor Grant of Colo
RADIO, and of W W. Grant, one of the
eminent physicians and surgeons of Iowa
1t so happens that the government
needs man of Mr.. Grants ability, de
termination and energy to care for its
material interests in the seal contracts
and in the fisheries there. Twenty yes
sells and their crews. British and Ameri.
can, are in Sitka harbor, captured by U,
s. revenue cutters for violation of the
laws. MIR. Bail was preparing for prose.
cnii0n Of these cases when he was seized
with fatal illness.
Nj. Grant has long journey before
him. He will probably 90 to Washington
this week for distinctions and start fol
Sitks, the capital of Alaska, next week
Sitka is4 800 miles irom here ant
there up in the far northwest it has s
much miIder climate than this. In hi
annual report to congress for 1886 tn
governor of the territory stated that tn
mercury was below : Farenheit bu
once, on the 5th day of January, an,
that degree of cold prevailed but half
day While there is mild temperature il
j winter, the mercury never rises above Z
in summer. There is almost continue
rain. however; the fall in Sc was min,
feet
The number of white people residen
it Slka is 600; the other inhabitants ar
Es9uimaux and Indians, nearly all tn
Russians having returned to their nativ
land. There is pleasant society there
formed by the families of the Unitct
States officials and officers of the arm
and navy. The salary of Mr. Grant
position Is not given in the concessions
list, but the appropriation for the terri
: tory is Jumped at $50, 900, SO as to NEE
exigences in that far off land A porto,
5 of the attorney generals telegram wa
that the salary should be satisfactory. an
it is understood that about So 900 is tn
figure, though there may be additions
fees increasing this greatly.
Mr.. Grant will take his family witt
him on his first journey to his place G
duty. He will probably stay in the Ter
e ritory until spring.